Dilled Carrot Tomato Soup

Tom grew heirloom tomatoes this year and they are gorgeous!  They aren't uniform in size or shape, which is the way "real" tomatoes grow as opposed to ones that are mass produced with slave labor in Florida.  (Ugh..I recently heard a report on Minnesota Public Radio about tomato growing operations in Florida and their abuse of migrant workers and other horticultural practices that convinced me to never buy a commerically produced tomato again!)  Anyway, this soup is an exquisite way to enjoy those tomatoes from the garden.  We had a hard freeze a couple of weeks ago, so Tom had to pull all of the green tomatoes off  the vines.  But tomatoes quickly ripen if placed in a brown paper bag with an apple. 

Golden and red heirloom tomatoes

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup water

3/4 lb. carrots, peeled and finely diced         
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1 bay leaf
5 sprigs fresh dill, to taste

Preparation:
Heat the oil in a soup pot.  Add the onions and saute over medium-low heat until golden.
Add the broth, water, carrots and tomatoes.  Stir in the bay leaves.  Bring to a rapid simmer, and then lower the heat.  Cover and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.  Add the fresh dill.  Puree to desired consistency.  Add salt as desired (not included in nutritional analysis).  Garnish with a drizzle of kefir.

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 4

Serving Size: 1 cup                                           
Calories: 94
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 134 mg
Total Carbs: 15 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 2 g